Fishing Tips

Spooling Up

Time spent fishing and less time tinkering with line means more fish on the hook

Timothy Kusherets

Keep the pressure on the entire time spooling the reel. Take it slow enough that the line doesn't get too warm or risk burning several fingers. Only fill the spool on the reel about three quarters of its capacity. Any more line on the spool than that risks brand new fishing line "bouncing" off the reel during the first few casts of the day, and that can create an awful mess of fishing line.

There are so many good reasons to spool the reel with tight fingers around fishing line. It rids the line of “Memory”, it prevents line from “Twisting”, and the tightly wound line allows fishermen to get “Maximum” line on each spool. One of the most important reasons to spool up like this is so you can “feel” line-abrasion as you do. It doesn’t happen all the time, but manufacturers of line let bad batches accidentally mix with good line and it’s up to us anglers to find it on our own before heading out the door to fish. If you can feel the dehydrated line, which becomes abrasive and dry, don’t put it on the reel. Take it back to the retailer before fishing with it. If you take it out fishing and then try to get the money for it, the guy behind the counter might hurt himself with laughter.
Before “Spooling” up the reel be sure to wash your hands to ensure that no unwanted odors transfer to the line or fish will let you know about that too by leaving the hook alone entirely. What your line and offering smell like will put fish on or off the bite, and fishing line is a perfect transmitter of odor.
As the line passes through your fingers and onto the spool, tighten your forefinger and thumb until you feel a warm friction. Don’t tighten the fingers too much or you could get friction burn, and perhaps strain the line making it weaker. Keep reeling line onto the fishing spool until it’s about a tenth from filling it. Stop and tie it off to the “red tag” usually found on the side of each spool.
The tightened line will actually allow you to get more line on the reel than the actual maximum capacity, which will allow for more lost line, and more time fishing.
One of the best reasons to use this tackle technique is the one every Angler can identify with and that is Saving Money. The more line on your reel, learning how to keep line from snapping, and learning what scents to keep away from fishing line (even if you use braided line) means Money Saved. In the long run it might be the single thing that motivates fishermen to use this spooling technique.
The more time spent fishing and less time tinkering with fishing line means more fish on the hook, and that’s what fishing is all about.
There really are and endless list of good reasons to spool up each reel this way and no good reason not to.

© Timothy Kusherets 2007/08